Bedlam Punches Above its Weight at Edfringe 2018

Bedlam is, compared to many at the Fringe, a fairly small venue — with only a single stage and eleven productions, it doesn't play in the same league as the likes of Pleasance or Gilded Balloon. Nonetheless, our recent Venue Analysis showed it's definitely punching above its weight, ranking 25th of all 253 venues in our overall Daily Mentions rankings, and 7th in terms of Mentions per Show — meaning the performances this theatre has booked are causing quite a stir already. At their press launch on Tuesday, the plucky team at Bedlam showcased a Fringe line up that featured a slew of young performers, and skewed slightly towards theatre over comedy.

Bedlam's heavy hitters are its returning shows.  Ken Cheng's acclaimed stand-up set Best Dad Ever heads the Trends analysis with a respectable 0.8 Daily Mentions and a lot of positivity out there in Twitter-space. Also returning to Bedlam and gaining traction online is LA theatre company Theatre Movement Bazar, with their absurdist take on the legend of King Arthur, Grail Project (0.2 Daily Mentions). Third in the running, and – for a change of pace – a newcomer to Bedlam is devised theatre production (even) HOTTER (0.1 Daily Mentions). Based on interviews with women and trans people people of all ages, the show has shown consistent gains in popularity since our Trends analysis began.

While we all love the Fringe, anyone who's travelled to Edinburgh to work or perform knows it can be tough as well. At Tuesday's press launch, the Bedlam team restated their commitment to maintaining a supportive environment for performers, and particularly referenced ethical pay as one of their main goals this Fringe.